A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of constitutional government, wherein either an elected or hereditary monarch is the head of state, unlike in an absolute monarchy, wherein the king or the queen is the sole source of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the national constitution. A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions See also Form of government This article lists forms of government and Political systems according to a series of different ways of categorising them Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Authoritarianism describes a Form of government characterized by an emphasis on the Authority of the State in a republic or union An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler A band society is the simplest form of human Society. A band generally consists of a small kin group no larger than an Extended family or Clan. A chiefdom is a type of complex society of varying degrees of centralization that is led by an individual known as a chief. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. Communist state is a term used by many Political scientists to describe a Form of government in which the State operates under a one-party system Corporatocracy is a Neologism that describes a Government dominated by corporate influence banks and governments Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Despotism is a Form of government by a single authority either an individual or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute political power A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed A kleptocracy (sometimes cleptocracy, occasionally kleptarchy) ( root klepto+kratein = rule by thieves) is a term applied to a Kritarchy is a form of government ruled by judges It may have existed in Israel during the period of time described in the Book of Judges and exist in Somalia under the Meritocracy is a system of a government or another organization wherein Appointments are made and responsibilities are given based on demonstrated talent and Ability A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that Ochlocracy ( Greek: οχλοκρατία or okhlokratía; Latin: ochlocratia) is government by mob or a mass of people Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy or power provided by wealth A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Mixed government, also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrated facets of government by Democracy, Oligarchy, and Monarchy A constitutional Republic is a State where the Head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people and A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The term socialist state (or socialist republic, or workers' state) can carry one of several different (but related meanings In strictly speaking any A capitalist republic is a concept of government completely the reverse of Marxist thought A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party Technocracy: A form of government in which scientists and technical experts are in control "technocracy is described as that society in which those who govern justify themselves Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler Theodemocracy is a political system theorized by Joseph Smith Jr Constitutional theory defines a timocracy as either a State where only property owners may participate in Government; or a government Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything The constitutional monarchy's government and its law are the government and the law of a limited monarchy. Most constitutional monarchies are parliamentary (UK, Australia, NZ, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand), the monarch is the head of state, but the elected prime minister is head of government. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Although contemporary constitutional monarchies mostly are representative, constitutional democratic monarchies, monarchies have co-existed with fascist and quasi-fascist constitutions (Italy, Japan, Spain) and with military dictatorships (Thailand). Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy,

Constitutional monarchies and Absolute monarchies

Constitutional monarchy in the European tradition

Constitutional monarchy occurred in Europe after the French revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an General Napoleon Bonaparte is considered the first monarch proclaiming himself as embodiment of the nation, rather than as a divinely-appointed ruler; this interpretation of monarchy is basic to continental constitutional monarchies. G. W. F. Hegel, in Philosophy of Right (1820) justified it philosophically, according well with evolving contemporary political theory and with the Protestant Christian view of Natural Law. Hegel forecast a constitutional monarch of limited powers, whose function is embodying the national character and constitutional continuity in emergencies, per the development of constitutional monarchy in Europe and Japan. Moreover, the ceremonial office of president (e. g. European and Israeli parliamentary democracies), is a contemporary type of Hegel's constitutional monarch (whether elected or appointed), yet, his forecast of the form of government suitable to the modern world might be perceived as prophetic. The Russian and French presidents, with their stronger powers, might be Hegelian, wielding power suited to the national will embodied.

"The Brabançonne", Belgium's national anthem, written shortly after publication of Philosophy of Right, ends with a pledge of loyalty to: Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté! [The King, the Law, and Liberty!], said anthem might be counterpart to the French: Liberté, égalité, fraternité, with French Republican sentiment replaced with Belgian monarchical sentiment. The Brabançonne ( Song of Brabant) is the National anthem of Belgium. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Liberté égalité fraternité, French for " Liberty, equality, fraternity ( Brotherhood)" is the motto

Modern constitutional monarchy

As originally conceived, a constitutional monarch was quite a powerful figure, head of the executive branch even though his or her power was limited by the constitution and the elected parliament. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Some of the framers of the US Constitution may have conceived of the president as being an elected constitutional monarch, as the term was understood in their time, following Montesquieu's somewhat dated account of the separation of powers in the United Kingdom ^[1]; although the term "president" at that time implied someone with the powers of the chairman of a committee of equals, like the rotating "president" of the congress under the Articles of Confederation.

An evolution in political thinking would, however, eventually spawn such phenomena as universal suffrage and political parties. Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral By the mid 20th century, the political culture in Europe had shifted to the point where most constitutional monarchs had been reduced to the status of figureheads, with no effective power at all. In politics a figurehead, by Metaphor with the carved figurehead at the prow of a sailing ship is a person who holds an important title or office yet executes little Instead, it was the democratically elected parliaments, and their leader, the prime minister who had become those who exercised power. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. In many cases even the monarchs themselves, while still at the very top of the political and social hierarchy, were given the status of "servants of the people" to reflect the new, egalitarian view.

In present terms, the difference between a parliamentary democracy that is a constitutional monarchy, and one that is a republic, is considered more a difference of detail than of substance, particularly in the common case in which the head of state serves the traditional role of embodying and representing the nation. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its This is reflected, for example, in all but the most die-hard Spanish Republicans accepting their country's returning to constitutional monarchy after the death of Francisco Franco. The Second Spanish Republic was the system of government in Spain between April 14 1931, when King Alfonso XIII left the country Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid

Constitutional monarchies today

Constitutional monarchies with representative parliamentary systems are shown in red. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Other constitutional monarchies (shown in violet) have monarchs who continue to exercise political influence, albeit within certain legal restrictions. Constitutional monarchies in beige (currently only one nation, Thailand) are constitutional monarchies in which the constitution has been suspended. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj

Today constitutional monarchies are mostly associated with Western European countries such as the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Sweden. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. In such cases it is the prime minister who holds the day-to-day powers of governance, while the King or Queen (or other monarch, such as a Grand Duke, in the case of Luxembourg, or Prince in the case of Monaco and Liechtenstein) retains only minor to no powers. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Different nations grant different powers to their monarchs. In the Netherlands, Denmark and in Belgium, for example, the Monarch formally appoints a representative to preside over the creation of a coalition government following a parliamentary election, while in Norway the King chairs special meetings of the cabinet. A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a Cabinet of a parliamentary Government in which several parties cooperate Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch.

The most significant family of constitutional monarchies in the world today are the sixteen realms, all independent parliamentary democracies in a personal union relationship under Elizabeth II. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Unlike some of their continental European counterparts, the Monarch and her Governors-General in the Commonwealth Realms hold significant "reserve" or "prerogative" powers, to be wielded in times of extreme emergency or constitutional crises usually to uphold parliamentary government. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch An instance of a Goveror General exercising his power was during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, where the Australian Prime Minister of the time, Gough Whitlam was effectively fired from his position, this led to much speculation that Australia should become a republic. Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916 known as Gough Whitlam (ˈɡɒf goff is an Australian former politician and 21st

In both the United Kingdom and elsewhere, a common debate centers around when it is appropriate for a monarch to use his or her political powers. When a monarch does act, political controversy can often ensue, partially because the neutrality of the crown is seen to be compromised in favor of a partisan goal. In politics a partisan is a committed member of a party In multi-party systems the term is typically understood to describe a person who supports their party's measures without an While political scientists may champion the idea of an "interventionist monarch" as a check against possible illegal action by politicians, the monarchs themselves are often driven by a more pragmatic sense of self-preservation, in which avoiding political controversy can be seen as an important way to retain public legitimacy and popularity. This is a list of notable political scientists See the List of political theorists for those who study politics without using the Scientific method.

There also exists today several federal constitutional monarchies. A federal monarchy is a federation of states with a single monarch as over-all head of the federation but retaining different monarchs or a non-monarchical system of government in the In these countries, each subdivision has a distinct government and head of government, but all subdivisions share a monarch who is head of state of the federation as a united whole.

List of current reigning monarchies

State	Last constitution established	Type of monarchy	Monarch selected by
Andorra	1993	Co-Principality	Selection of Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell and election of French President
Bahrain	2002	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Belgium	1831	Kingdom; popular monarchy[2]	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Bhutan	2007	Kingdom	Hereditary succession
Brunei		Sultanate	Hereditary succession
Cambodia	1993	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Denmark	1953	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Japan	1946	Empire	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Jordan	1952	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Kuwait	1962	Emirate	Hereditary succession directed approval of al-Sabah family and majority of National Assembly
Lesotho	1993	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed approval of College of Chiefs
Liechtenstein	1862	Principality	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Luxembourg	1868	Grand duchy	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Malaysia	1957	Elective monarchy	Selected from nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay states
Monaco	1911	Principality	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Morocco	1962	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Netherlands	1815	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Norway	1814	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Oman		Sultanate	Hereditary succession
Qatar		Emirate	Hereditary succession
Saudi Arabia		Kingdom	Hereditary succession
Spain	1978	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Swaziland		Kingdom	Hereditary succession
Sweden	1974	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Thailand	2007	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Tonga	1970	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
United Arab Emirates	1971	Elective monarchy	Chosen by Federal Supreme Council from rulers of Abu Dhabi
United Kingdom	1688	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Antigua and Barbuda	1981	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Australia	1977	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
The Bahamas	1973	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Barbados	1966	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Belize	1981	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Canada	1982	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Grenada	1974	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Jamaica	1962	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
New Zealand	1987	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Papua New Guinea	1975	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Saint Kitts and Nevis	1983	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Saint Lucia	1979	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1979	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Solomon Islands	1978	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution
Tuvalu	1978	Kingdom	Hereditary succession directed by constitution

Previous monarchies

• The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, formed after the Union of Lublin in 1569 and lasting till the final partition of the state in 1795 operated much like many modern European constitutional monarchies. Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince La Seu d'Urgell is the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, in the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain. The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Popular Monarchy is a system of monarchical governance in which the monarch's title is linked with the people rather than a unitary state The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. The House of Al-Sabah (الصباح are the royal family of Kuwait. Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by A grand duchy is a territory whose Head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and An elective monarchy is a Monarchy ruled by someone generally from a Royal house, who is elected by a group The Rulers of the Malay States in Malaysia are the seven Sultans of Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang Within Malaysia, the Malay states are the nine states of Peninsular Malaysia that have hereditary Rulers. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Swaziland is a country located in Southern Africa centred at approximately 26o49'S 31o38'E "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles An elective monarchy is a Monarchy ruled by someone generally from a Royal house, who is elected by a group The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Antigua and Barbuda ( Spanish for "Ancient" and "Bearded" is an Island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island Saint Lucia (ˌseɪnt ˈluːʃɪə is an Island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia The legislators of the unified state truly did not see it as a monarchy at all, but as a republic under the presidency of the King. Poland-Lithuania also followed the principle of "Rex regnat et non gubernat", had a bicameral parliament, and a collection of entrenched legal documents amounting to a constitution along the lines of the modern United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The King was elected, and had the duty of maintaining the people's rights.
• France functioned briefly as a constitutional monarchy during the post-Napoleonic era, under the reign of Louis XVIII and Charles X, but the latter's attempt at reinstating absolute monarchy led to his fall. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824 Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was a King of France and Navarre. Charles X (9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836 ruled as King of France and Navarre from 20 May 1824 until the French Revolution of 1830, when he abdicated Louis-Philippe of France was also a constitutional monarch. Louis Philippe ( 6 October 1773 &ndash 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the
• Napoléon Bonaparte, as Emperor of the French, was in theory a constitutional monarch, though he was ousted from France before his line could continue. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. In practice, however, he is often classed as a military dictator, whose power derived primarily from his command of the army.
• The German Empire from 1871 to 1918, (as well as earlier confederations, and the monarchies it consisted of) was also a constitutional monarchy—see Constitution of the German Empire. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Constitution of the German Empire was the basic law of the German Empire of 1871-1919
• Prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1978, Iran was a constitutional monarchy under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, which had been originally established during the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1906. The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Iranian Constitutional Revolution (also known as the Persian Constitutional Revolution or Constitutional Revolution of Iran) took place between 1905 and 1911
• Portugal until 1910 was a constitutional monarchy; the last king was Manuel II of Portugal until he was overthrown by a military coup. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Manuel II (mɐnuˈɛɫ Emanuel II the Patriot ( Port o Patriota) or the Missed King ( Port
• Brazil from 1815 (United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves) until 1822, with the proclamation of independence and rise of the Empire of Brazil by Pedro I of Brazil. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. Pedro I (ˈpedɾuin Brazilian Portuguese and in European Portuguese; English: Peter of Alcantara Francis Anthony John Charles Xavier of Paula After this the Empire had ended in 1889, during the reign of Pedro II of Brazil, when the emperor was deposed by a military coup. Pedro II, (ˈpedɾu seˈgũdu December 2, 1825 December 5, 1891) was the second and last Emperor of Brazil.
• Hawaiʻi was a constitutional monarchy from the unification of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and the Hawaiʻi (or the "Big Island") in 1810 until the overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani in 1893 by conspirators from United States that threatened her that, should she not resign, her people would suffer greatly. The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of O{{okina}}ahu, Liliuokalani ( September 2, 1838 – November 11, 1917) born Lydia Liliu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaeha, was the last
• The Grand Duchy of Finland was a constitutional monarchy though its ruler, Alexander I, who was simultaneously an autocrat and absolute ruler in Russia. The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
• The Kingdom of Hungary in 1848–1849 and 1867–1918 as part of Austria-Hungary. The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946 In the interwar period (1920–1944) Hungary remained a constitutional monarchy without a reigning monarch. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic
• Yugoslavia until 1945 when King Peter was deposed by the communist government. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Peter II of Yugoslavia, known also as Petar II Karađorđević ( Cyrillic: Краљ Петар II Карађорђевић (6 September 1923 – 3 November 1970
• Romania until 1947 when King Michael was forced to abdicate at gunpoint by the communists. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Michael King of the Romanians, Prince of Hohenzollern (born October 25, 1921) reigned as King of the Romanians (Maiestatea
• Bulgaria until 1946 when Tsar Simeon was deposed by the communist assembly without consultation of the people. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Royal history Simeon is the son of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Giovanna di Savoia.
• Greece until 1967 when King Constantine was deposed by the military government. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Early life Constantine was born at Psychiko, near Athens, the nephew of King George II and the second child and only son of the King's brother and Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group. The decision was formalised by a plebiscite in 05/04/1974. The Greek plebiscite of 1974 resulted in the final abolition of Monarchy in Greece and the establishment of the current Third Hellenic Republic.
• Many Commonwealth republics were constitutional monarchies in personal union with the Commonwealth realms for some period after their independence. A Commonwealth republic is any one of the 31 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations with a Republican form of government A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch

Other situations

• Japan is the only country with a reigning emperor. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
• Luxembourg is the only country with a reigning Grand Duke. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by The Title grand duke (in Latin, magnus dux; in Spanish, gran duque; in Russian, Великий Герцог
• Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein are the only countries with a reigning Prince. Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a
• Andorra is the only country where the head of state is vested jointly in two individuals. Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western
• Australia, whose constitution demands legislation for the holding of a referendum where a majority of votes in a majority of 6 states must occur for any change to take place. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In 1999 a referendum was held to change the country into a republic and was defeated. The 1999 Australian referendum was a two-question Referendum held on 6 November 1999.

Notes

References

• G. W. F. Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right (Allen W. Wood, ed. , H. B. Nisbet, trans. ). Cambridge University Press, 1991. ISBN 0-521-34438-7 (originally published as Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel, Philosophie des Rechts, 1820).
• John Locke, Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration. John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. (Ian Shapiro, ed. , with essays by John Dunn, Ruth W. Grant and Ian Shapiro. ) New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003 (Two Treatises first pub. 1690). ISBN 0-300-10017-5.
• Baron de Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws. Charles-Louis de Secondat baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (Eng Legal Classics Library, 1984.